A Little Help From TYLT

Simi Valley will always sound like it is some sort of technology destination. Perhaps because of the closeness in name to the popular Sim game franchise or even because it is another Si-prefixed Valley (a la Silicon Valley), there has always been a relationship to technology and Simi Valley in my brain. There isn’t any support of this idea either as the greater Los Angeles city is undoubtedly quaint and quiet in our few visits we’ve taken there. But could it be a tech something? Potentially–and if Simi Valley based tech innovators TYLT has anything to do with it, Simi Valley could become some sort of computerized mecca. The company makes really smart, bright mobile accessories from cases to speakers but have carved a place in the on-the-go charging station with products like their Energi and Zumo. We recently got our hands on their beefy PowerPlant, a tiny mega-machine that can bring your electronic device back to life in a pinch.

The device is a little black brick that unfolds to give you a little power. On one end of the piece, a soft plastic end peels off to reveal a female USB end in addition to a female micro USB end. There is an arm that pulls out from this which basically is how it is intended to charge your device: you plug your phone right into this little buddy and it does the job. It’s a clever energy helper that is great for on the go people and, like the many independent “The city is your office!” people in LA, this comes in handy on those days when you are travelling from place to place to place and don’t have time for a recharge.

A few things that set this apart from other mobile rechargers for your phone. First, the packaging and branding TYLT have done for this (and other products, undoubtedly) is super futuristic-cool. You almost want to keep the box as the neon green shell is so sturdy and seems too nice to throw away. The PowerPlant is also very easy to use and, although the 30-Pin end doesn’t work for our phones, that USB end is so super helpful since you can basically power anything you want from it. While products like the Morphie Juice Pack seamlessly integrate into your phone, it’s very limited and–from experience–sometimes looses its charge without being plugged into anything. This little guy also lasts forever. It does take a very long time to charge it up but the pay off is worth it (and you can monitor it by pushing a button to reveal how much of a charge it still has).

You know what else is great about this product? It’s coming from Southern California. How incredibly unexpected! There are things in LA like Silicon Beach and so many little Internet startups in town but tangible things, techy products, are not really a thing down here. It’s great to see people like TYLT putting the energy (Ha!) into such pursuits and making it look so good. We’re super glad to have gotten to try out the PowerPlant and will certainly have to try more. You can find places to purchase their devices here or, better yet, visit their online shop.